Apparatus for generating heated air



May 31, 1966 N. LAlNG 3,253,649

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING HEATED AIR Original Filed April 26, 1960 iiiiINVENTOR Ni kolc s Loing ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FORGENERATING HEATED AIR Nikolaus Laing, Stuttgart, Germany, assignor, bymesne assignments, to Laing Vortex, 1116-, New York, N.Y. Originalapplication Apr. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 24,807, now

Patent No. 3,152,876, dated Oct. 13, 1964. Divided and this applicationSept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,761

7 Claims. (Cl. 165-86) This invention relates to means for generating astream of heated air. The application is a division of applicationSerial No. 24,807, filed April 26, 1960, now Patent No. 3,152,876,granted October 13, 1964.

The invention is concerned with apparatus of the type comprising acylindrical bladed rotor and guide means cooperating therewith to inducea flow of air from an inlet side of the rotor through the path of therotating blades of the rotor to the interior thereof and thence againthrough the path of the rotating blades to the outlet side of the rotor.The invention provides apparatus of this type having hollow bladeportions and means for circulating a hot fluid, for example hot Water orsteam, through the hollow blade portions so that in operation of theapparatus heat is transferred from the hot fluid within the bladeportions to the air which is caused to flow past the exterior thereof.

More specifically, the invention is concerned with a rotor constructionfor apparatus of the type above specified wherein the blade portions areinterconnected by a series of preferably hollow rings disposed in planesextending perpendicularly to the rotor axis and spaced therealong, therotor being built up from a stack of annular elements formed of sheetmaterial, the elements being of a plurality of different groups andsecured together in predetermined recurring sequence going along thelength of the rotor: in a simple construction there may be two groups ofelements which are arranged in alternation, elements of one groupproviding one side of a ring, and those of the other providing-thecomplementary side of the ring and also blade portions which mate withapertures in the next ring of the first group.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic transverse section through an apparatus forgenerating a stream of warm air;

FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal section through a rotor for the FIG. 1apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a partial transverse section of the FIG. 2 rotor taken on theline IIIIII thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of the FIG. 2 rotorillustrating the manner of its constructions from stacked sheet metalelements: for better illustration FIG. 4 is somewhat enlarged anddistorted.

The apparatus comprises a bladed rotor 1 and guide means in the form ofa pair of guide walls 2, 3. The rotor 1 has a series of similar curvedblades 7 extending parallel to the axis and arranged in a ringthereabout: the blades are concave facing the direction of rotation,indicated by the arrow 8, and have their outer edges leading. The meansfor driving and supporting the rotor 6 are of conventional type and arenot shown. The guide 3 has its lower poriton returnbent to form a mainguide wall portion subtending a small angle (some at the rotor axis anddefining with the rotor a gap 16 which, in the particular embodimentshown, converges in the direction of rotor rotation. The line of nearestapproach of the main guide wall portion 15 to the rotor 1 is aboutdiametrically opposite that of the guide wall 2 and both lines ofnearest approach are well spaced from the rotor. The main guide wallportion 15 terminates at the air inlet region 12 in a rounded-out lip 17and on the outlet side merges into the remainder of the wall 3 in arounded nose 18.

The rotor 1 on rotation cooperates with the guide means formed by themain guide wall portion 15 and the guide wall 13 to induce a flow of airfrom the inlet region 12 through the path of the rotating rotor bladesto the interior of the rotor and thence again through the path of therotating blades to the outlet side of the rotor. The flow paths throughthe rotor are shown by the chain dotted lines F. Though notshown in FIG.1, it will be seen from the following that the rotor 1 has hollow bladesthrough which hot fluid is circulated e.g. hot water or steam; the airstream which is caused to pass outside of the blades derives heat fromthe fluid circulating Within them.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotor 1 shown in part in FIG. 2comprises hollow end support members 31 (one only being shown) betweenwhich there extends, parallel to the rotor axis 32, a series of similarhollow blades 33 having the curved profile shown in FIG. 3. The endsupport members 31 have hollow stub shafts 34 whereby they are supportedfor rotation about the axis and driven and through which the hot fluidis passed, with the aid of conventional connections and seals, notshown. The fluid enters one support member 31 via its stub shaft 34,passes longitudinally of the rotor to the other end support member, andthence out through the stub shaft thereof. The rotor 1 includes aplurality of rings 35 which are disposed in planes extendingperpendicularly to the rotor axis 32 and spaced uniformly therealong.Like the blades 33, the rings 35 are hollow and their interiorsintercommunicate with those of the blades through openings 35a. Thedistribution of fluid into the blades 33 from the upstream end member 31is eifected so that alternate blades have a higher pressure than thosebetween them, so that fluid flow takes place in the rings 35 betweenadjacent blades. The rings 35 are constructed intermediate the blades 33so that their walls contact each other along the lines 36. Thisconstriction causes flow to take place along lines indicated at 37, andreduces the rate of flow in the rings while at the same time directingthis flow to the outside.

The rotor 1 is built up from a nested stack of annular elements 38, 39formed of sheet material. The elements 38 are all similar to each other:the elements 39 are all similar to each other. The stack is made up ofelements 38, 39 in alteration. Each element 38 provides one dished wall40 of a ring 35, and a series of blade portions 41 pressed out to oneside of the wall and terminating in inturned ends 42. The elements 39each provide the opposite dished ring wall 43, with apertures 44 foralignment with the blade portions 41 on the element 38 and have anaxially extending peripheral flange 45. The annular elements 38, '39 arestacked with the flange 45 of an element 35! engaging over and locatingon the periphery of the adjacent element 38. The next element 38 is thenlocated by entry of the inturned ends 42 of its blade portions 41 in theapertures 44. The stack when assembled is secured by any convenientconventional method e.g. brazing: the flanges 45 can be spun over theadjacent elements 38 as illustrated at 46. The method of manufacturefrom a nested stack of annular elements permits of economic quantityproduction.

It is to be appreciated that no guide means are shown for the rotor 1 ofFIGS. 2 to 4, but that these guide means can take the form ilustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2. As a blower, the rotor 1 and its guide means operate asabove described. As a heat exchanger, it is to be noted that thesurfaces of the blades 33 and rings 35 through which the heat passesencounter a current of air which changes direction twice in everyrevolution: this minimizes the insulating boundary layer of air such asis set up on surfaces over which the air movement isin one directiononly, and promotes efliciency of heat transfer.

I claim:

1. A rotatable bladed rotor for use in apparatus for generating a streamof air and for effecting a heat exchange between air passing over theblades of the rotor and a second fluid wherein said apparatus has guidemeans which on rotation of the rotor cause air to flow from a suctionside of the rotor, through said rotor, and thence to a pressure side ofsaid rotor; said rotor comprising a stack of annular elements securedtogether and positioned coaxially with respect to said rotor with thestack defining hollow blade portions extending parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the rotor, fluid passages intercommunicating saidhollow blade portions to form a system of internal ducts in the rotor,and means for introducing fluid into and removing fluid from said ducts.

2. A rotor'as claimed in claim 1 wherein said annular elements providesaid passages intencommunicating with the interior of the hollow bladeportions.

3. A rotatable bladed rotor for use in apparatus for generating a streamof air and for effecting heat exchange between the air passing over theblades of the rotor and a second fluid wherein said apparatus has guidemeans which on rotation of the rotor cause air to flow from a suctionside of the rotor, through the rotor, and

thence to a pressure side of the rotor; a stack of nested annularelements positioned coaxially on the longitudinal axis of the rotor, theelements'being of two kinds and arranged alternately, an element of onekind providing one side of a ring extending perpendicularly to the rotoraxis and an element of the other kind providing the complementary sideof the ring and blade portions extending longitudinally of the rotor andmating with apertures in the next ring of the said one kind, meanssupporting said stack for rotation about its axis, the stack providinginternal ducts for fluid flow, and means for introducing fluid into andremoving fluid from said ducts as the rotor rotates.

4. A rotor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the blade portions and ringsare hollow and inter-communicate to form said ducts.

5. A rotor as claimed in claim 3, wherein respective said blade portionsare aligned longitudinally of the rotor.

6. A rotatable bladed rotor for use in apparatus for generating a streamof air and for effecting heat exchange between air passing over theblades of the rotor and a second fluid wherein said apparatus has guidemeans References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,656,7901/1928 Heijkenskjold -90 p 4 FOREI'GN PATENTS 581,241 8/1958 Italy.

' FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 111., Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, ROBERT A. OLEARY,

' Examiners. v

M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A ROTATABLE BLADED ROTOR FOR USE IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A STREAM OF AIR AND FOR EFFECTING A HEAT EXCHANGE BETWEEN AIR PASSING OVER THE BLADES OF THE ROTOR AND A SECOND FLUID WHEREIN SAID APPARATUS HAS GUIDE MEANS WHICH ON ROTATION OF THE ROTOR CAUSE AIR TO FLOW FROM A SUCTION SIDE OF THE ROTOR, THROUGH SAID ROTOR, AND THENCE TO A PRESSURE SIDE OF SAID ROTIR; SAID ROTOR COMPRISING A STACK OF ANNULAR ELEMENTS SECURED TOGETHER AND POSITIONED COAXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROTOR WITH THE STACK DEFINING HOLLOW BLADE PORTIONS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ROTOR, FLUID PASSAGES INTERCOMMUNICATING SAID HOLLOW BLADE PORTIONS TO FORM A SYSTEM OF INTERNAL DUCTS IN THE ROTOR, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID INTO AND REMOVING FLUID FROM SAID DUCTS. 